News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-03-31
STARVED TO DEATH.
Horrors of the Famine in India-scenes OF
Terrible Agony.

Horrors of the Famine in India-scenes OF
| Terrible Agony.
After being delayed a week at Jooty,
where at the Government expense
lived sumptuously, 1 was ordered to
! Madras, where | did not fare so well, but
was finally ordered to Tinnevelly, the
| most southern State in all India. From
| thence | was Sc t to Ootipadaram,
where the collector has established a
huge camp, and where 10, 900 to II, 900
pauners were being fed. The village of
0otipadaram sits on huge treeless plain,
which plain in better years raised vast
amounts OF grain, and the village was
the most thriving of that district. But
now its rich Brahmins were dead. Used
to a life of ease and plenty, they had
been the first to Succumb to want and
privation, and there in their houses, with
their hands clasped across their knees,
or writhing on the floor in agony, they
had gasped out their breath calling on
God for succor omen who were
once beautiful lay dead with their chill
dren in their arms, and on the putrid
bodies, on the grim skeletons, lay golden
anklets, bracelets, earrings and the fine
golden platter which adOrns the wealthy
Brahmin women's head. Jewels fit for
crowned heads lay scattered about
Jewels which had been offered for a
handful of millct and had been refused,
and through all this gloom and misery
stalked the professional beggar, poking
and prying to find something with which
to stay the gnawing at his vltals.
There were thousands of human beings
busy making the camp and very little
food. But the grain was coming, COM
ing as fast as oxen could drag it, and
the many hungry people, elated with
hope, struggled bravely against death.
In all that vast and starving crowd
there was no murmur. Once or twice
an unfortunate woman would catch my
leg and ask whether it were true that
the grain was coming. No shudder
of horror electrified their frames when
thrice each day the carts laden with
dead would pass from out of camp and
dump the bodies in the long trenches.
At last the grain tram came. Every
pauper outside the camp was driven in
and securely locked up within the fence.
The grain was unloaded-but the food
they so anxiously wanted to eat was de-
MED many a one. The strain in many
instances was too great. The Joy was
too violent, and in sight of plenty they
died. After the arrival of the grain the
camp was organized and two daily doles |
were made-One in the morning and one
in the evening. The dole consisted of |
rice and chile water and after the first |
days food the mortality in the camp |
was frightful. 1t lose over /, 900 day. |
The paupers were ranged in long lines; |
each was furnished with platter, into |
which was thrown the rice and then |
sprinkled with chile water. Ere the |
hand could convey the food to the |
mouth, the expectant eater would be |
dead; others while GU ping down their
food would be seized with commissions, |
some who had finished their rice would |
linger an hour or so, their stomachs
swollen to an incredible size and die raw
ing maniacs; some would dash their
heads against the ground delirious from
JOY. In every horrid shape stood death
death in every revolving and hideous
form.
The public works started for the relief
Of famine paupers were simply useful to
contractors as money making ventures.
Of their utility to the Government every
one in the Tinnevelly district doubted
A huge reservoir was made under the
of the Public Works
Department, and one or two roads were
but it was playing at
works Frauds were being perpetrated
IN every side, the Thesildars or native
collectors began to purloin rice, the
worthless native doctors put in huge
supply lists where port wine, brandy,
ago and arrowroot conspicuously fig
lrcd, but neither the solicitude of the
4 ospital Department, the potency of
he brandy or the strengthening influ-
,nce of arrowroot and sage could keep
alive people who were practically dead.
At one time it seemed that no hum an
90 q eav ssessta keep the di4triet from
entireS depep uiataon The sssfaoa asa tsja} i i
was gradually diminishing, and orders
were being frequently received to keep
Tie ole down. The distress Gas spread.
through to other kalpks and il af1-
Se that the GovernneHt q doom
be caIled upon tofsea the. entire n4sd se
population Of Indias a1ld therefere it was.H
Necessary to ctrtail file 81 his
measure again IncreaAed mort 4
andy the death rate stood higher than
sEers Wirulent diseases broke s.ort,
In pox ragged furiously, the hospital
1aaes opt nod the hospital pens and
aed the l patients invaded
Ehe camp Of the ia closure and Il
sliread III ease to al htful extens
For non I'd there was t0ta Jack